Talespin: More email fun from the Troy Council

uncil was chattering back and forth about first fees assessed to tattoo parlors, then about an idea to help out the vulnerable with tax increases caused by reassessment to two unrelated Councilmen McGraths questioning each other's manhood.

You really can't make this up.

Things started heating up on March 14, when Councilman Rodney Wiltshire, D-At Large, sent out an email regarding his proposal to phase in any tax increases over a few years rather than whack a 70-year-old with a $6,500 tax increase, as was the example Councilman Ken Zalewski, D-District 4, brought forth.

It's kind of a neat idea and may alleviate some of the pain the reassessment will certainly cause about a third of Troy's property owners -- about a third saw their assessments increase, about a third saw it decrease and about a third stayed the same -- as it works to even out some of the inequities over who is paying what share of the city's tax levy. But, then again, I'm not sure how the idea would work since the way I understand it is the tax levy is still the tax levy and the reassessment dictates who pays what share. The city still needs a set amount of taxes to balance its budget each year and allowing people to phase in, so to speak, would lead to a budget that's not balanced.

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I'm not unilaterally saying it won't work because I'm just a writer and not an accountant, and it might be a way to keep the very necessary process going forward rather than the Council getting cold feet and postponing it to get through an election year. In the end, it's an idea definitely worth exploring.

Anyway, that conversation quickly went downhill when Councilman Mark McGrath brought up the valid point of what to do with the third who will see their taxes go down from reassessment. Do you phase in reductions too? Or do those who have paid too much over the years, those who saw their assessments drop, get a refund because they have been paying too much?

Valid questions. While the first would answer how to balance the budget it would also, however, upset the third who were previously happy with the process, the third who were unhappy to begin with will still be unhappy -- if not as unhappy as before -- and the third who saw no or little change will still say phew and wipe their brow again.

And it's an election year.

After that valid point to Wiltshire's valid proposal things kind of got kind of ugly. Below is a transcript of what transpired and while I generally own up to typos, these are not mine.

n On March 15, at 4:02 p.m. Councilman Kevin McGrath sent out an email that said: "Speaking of friends, maybe we can start with the tattoo parlor registration fees to contribute."

n Mark McGrath responded: "Kevin, never asked that any friends of mine not pay their fair share. My question on the tattoo parlors was it hasn't been enforced in years. When will we start to enforce the fees on barbershops and cab companies...and...without the administration knowing of these fees. I was simply asking who made the decision to enact them. Why don't you stick to face-book and stealing votes from the disabled. Are we clear?"

n K. McGrath: "Its very clear. You can dish it out, but cant take it."

n M. McGrath: Real deep thinker, this is why I never respond to you or your high achieving cohorts. Spoke to John Brown the other night, took full responsibility for his actions and will pay the price of jail time. His boys are old enough now to know where dad is but in time...he'll still be a man."

n K. McGrath: "Normally I dont respond to your ego inflated responses. I felt the need to as you continue to insult Karla the way you do. Thats really manly and tough of you. Shes doing her job and doesnt deserve your tasteless insults. When looking at the source, your comments mean little to me. They are typical from the little man you are."

n M. McGrath: "Yea, but I'm a man."

n K. McGrath: "So you think."

n Somewhere in there Councilman Dean Bodnar asked the two to chill out and the final email was sent, or at least the one sent I was included on was from Council President Lynn Kopka which said: "STOP IT. Can we focus on the issues that need to be addressed? Everyone needs to do due diligence on the tax levy proposal, the registration of tattoo parlors and the state legislation that Jessie is advocating for, etc."

The whole thing had me smiling over the weekend because it reminded me of being at recess when I was attending Mount Carmel Elementary School. Life was just so much simpler when we were in elementary school and "sticks and stones" were still more powerful than words.

The TPD

I was on the Paul Vandenburgh television show last week and he asked me about how Police Commissioner Tony Magnetto and Police Chief John Tedesco were getting along and I told him as far as I know not bad since I hadn't heard anything to the contrary and that things were surprisingly quiet.

Since then, I got two anonymous letters telling me it's not so and I'll look into it more this week and posting what I find out on my blog. Honestly, even without Mayor Lou Rosamilia appointing Magnetto to usurp the chief's power the department known for making noise has been way to quiet.

Talepsin was written by James V. Franco. He can be reached at 478-5343